Concern as farmland bird numbers fall to record lows

The latest statistics covering the fortunes of 19 key species which breed or feed on farmland in England showed populations had more than halved since records began in 1966.

Conservationists said the year-on-year fall between 2008 and 2009 could be the result of a cold winter and the loss of "set-aside" land which farmers were paid to leave fallow, a European Union policy abolished in 2007.

If there is another harsh winter this year, the figures for 2009-2010 could be worse still.

The single-year decline is part of a trend in falling farmland bird numbers which has seen populations drop 53 per cent below where they were when monitoring first started in 1966.

Experts at the RSPB said the figures made "depressing reading" and they were most concerned about the fortunes of threatened species including lapwings which saw a 12 per cent decline, corn buntings whose numbers fell seven per cent, and the grey partridge, which plummeted by 23 per cent.